SH- Current Affairs Update 14th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

World Radio Day: 13 February

World Radio Day is an observance day held annually on 13 February.

• It was proclaimed on 3 November 2011 by UNESCO's 36th General Conference after originally being proposed by the Kingdom of Spain.
• The theme of World Radio day 2018 is "Radio and Sports".

All villages to be linked by roads by 2019

The Centre is making efforts to connect all villages through a road network by next year as part of the 'Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna', said Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav.

• Earlier, the target to compete these works was 2022 but it has been advanced to 2019.
• The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched by the Central government to provide connectivity to unconnected habitations as part of a poverty reduction strategy.

Radio Umang: India’s first online radio station launched

Radio Umang, India’s first online radio station that allows the listener to just download and tune in, has been launched.

• Listeners can tune in to this online radio station through web streaming or download the app.
• With 24 hours programming, it has found listeners in Hindi speaking regions of India and in over 60 countries worldwide.

President of India hosts ‘LPG Panchayat’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, hosted an‘LPG Panchayat on February 13, 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

• The LPG Panchayat was organised by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas with an aim to provide a platform for LPG consumers to interact with each other, promote mutual learning and share experiences.
• Each LPG Panchayat has about 100 LPG customers coming together, near their living areas,to discuss safe and sustainable usage of LPG, its benefits and the link between clean fuel for cooking and women’s empowerment.
• The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas intends to conduct 1 lakh such Panchayats across India before March 31, 2019.

SH- Current Affairs Update 13th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants, 

 List of MoUs signed on the occasion of the visit of PM to Oman

Agreement on Legal and Judicial Cooperation in Civil and Commercial matter

• Agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, Special, service and official passports
• MoU on Cooperation in the field of health
• MoU on Cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
• MoU on Cooperation between Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, India and Oman Diplomatic Institute.
• MoU on Academic and Scholarly cooperation sectors between National Defence College Sultanate of Oman and the Institute for Defence Studies and the Analyses.
• MoU in the field of Tourism cooperation between India and Oman.
• Annexure to the MoU on Military Cooperation.

National Productivity Day and Week

The National Productivity Council is observing National Productivity Day on February 12, and National Productivity Week till 18th February.

• It is the 60th Anniversary of the National Productivity Council and is being celebrated as Diamond Jubilee Year.
• "Industry 4.0 Leapfrog Opportunity for India " has been selected as the theme for the National Productivity Week -2018.

India Among Top Ten Nations in the World in Terms of Forest Area

Strongly emphasising the increasingly green credentials of the country, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr.  Harsh Vardhan has said that India has shown an increasing trend in the forest and tree cover, in comparison to the global trend of decreasing forest cover during the last decade. 

• Releasing the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017, Dr. Harsh Vardhan pointed out that India ranks among the top ten countries of the world in terms of forest area, despite the fact that none of the other 9 countries has a population density of more than 150 persons per sq km, compared to India, which has a population density of 382 persons per sq km.   
• “India is ranked 10th in the world, with 24.4% of land area under forest and tree cover, even though it accounts for 2.4 % of the world surface area and sustains the needs of 17 % of human and 18 % livestock population”, the Minister said. 
• Dr. Harsh Vardhan added that as per the latest FAO report, India is placed 8th in the list of Top Ten nations reporting the greatest annual net gain in forest area.

SH- Current Affairs Update 12th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants, 

World Government Summit begins in Dubai

The World Government Summit 2018 is beng held in Dubai, UAE from February 11-13.

• Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE's Vice President and Prime Minister, expresses his thanks to India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit as guest of honour to the World Government Summit.
• The three-day event, which was first held in Dubai in 2013, has been described as the largest annual government summit.

Government releases Rs 9,940 crore to states for Smart Cities Mission

The Centre has released nearly Rs 9,940 crore to the states so far for the Smart Cities Mission, with Maharashtra accounting for the highest amount of Rs 1,378 crore, followed by Madhya Pradesh getting Rs 984 crore.

• The Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has announced 99 cities for central assistance under the BJP government's flagship programme.
• The total proposed investment in these cities was Rs 2.03 lakh crore.

Rajnath Singh inaugurates first spoken Sanskrit centre

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched the Centre for learning Sanskrit language in Gujarat University in Ahmedabad.

• The centre will offer a six-month course for people on how to speak the language.
• The coordinator of the course, Atul Unagar, said it was possibly the first such course launched in India. 

SH- Current Affairs Update 11th, Feb 2018

Dear Aspirants,

 List of MoUs/Agreements signed during visit of Prime Minister to Palestine

MOU between India and Palestine for setting up of India-Palestine Super-specialty hospital at Beit Sahour in Bethelhem Governorate at a cost ofUS$ 30 million.

• MOU between India and Palestine for construction of India Palestine Centre for Empowring women, "Turathi” at a cost ofUS$ 5 million
• MOU between India and Palestine for setting up of new National Printing Press at Ramallah at a cost ofUS$ 5 million
• MOU between India and Palestine Construction of school in Muthalth Al Shuhada Village at a cost ofUS$ 1 million
• MOU between India and Palestine Construction of school in Tamoon village in Tubas Governorate in Palestine at a cost ofUS$ 1.1 million
• MOU between India and Palestine Assistance of US$ US$ 0.25 million for construction of additional floor to Jawahar Lal Nehru for Boys at Abu Dees

PM Modi inaugurates Abu Dhabi’s first Hindu temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone for a new temple for the Hindu community living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

• The temple will be the first to be built in Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE which is home to a huge Indian diaspora. 
• The PM laid the foundation stone for the temple from the Dubai Opera House via video conferencing. 
• This is Modi's second visit to the UAE after August 2015.
• The UAE has two Hindu temples which are located in Dubai.

Mumbai 12th richest city globally; total wealth at USD 950 billion 

India's financial capital Mumbai, with a total wealth of USD 950 billion, has been named among the top 15 wealthiest cities globally, while New York topped the list, says a report. 

• According to a report by New World Wealth, the economic hub of India is the 12th wealthiest city, followed by Toronto with a total wealth of USD 944 billion, Frankfurt (14th, USD 912 billion) and Paris (15th, USD 860 billion). 
• Mumbai, also features among the top 10 cities in terms of billionaire population. The city is home to 28 billionaires, individuals with USD 1 billion or more in net assets. 

SH- Current Affairs Update 02nd, Feb 2018

Dear SH Aspirants,

NATIONAL

Union Budget 2018: Key takeaways and sector-wise highlights

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley delivered the current government's fifth and last full financial budget (Budget 2018 for the fiscal year 2018-19) amid subdued economic growth, challenging fiscal situation and farm distress. 

Here are the key highlights from the Union Budget 2018:

Economic Health

• Economy firmly on course to achieve high growth of 8%
• GDP growth at 6.3% in the second quarter of 2017-18 signals turnaround of the economy
• Growth in the second half likely to remain between 7.2% to 7.5%  

Agriculture and Rural Economy

• MSP for all unannounced Kharif crops increased to 150%
• Institutional credit for agri-sector increased to Rs.10 lakh crore in 2017-18
• Fisheries, aquaculture and animal husbandry corpus at Rs.10,000 crore
• New scheme Operation Greens with an outlay of Rs 500 Crore
• Govt to develop and upgrade existing 22,000 rural haats
• Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund with a corpus of Rs.2000 crore
• Allocation for Ministry of Food Processing doubled to Rs.1400 crore
• Loans to Self Help Groups (SHG) of women to increase to Rs.75,000 crore by March 2019.
• Increased allocation of National Rural Livelihood Mission to Rs 5750 crore
• Under Ujjwala Scheme distribution of free LPG connections will be given to 8 crore poor women
• Housing for All by 2022 - more than one crore houses to be built by 2019 in rural areas

Education, Health, and Social Protection

• Estimated budgetary expenditure on health, education and social protection at Rs.1.38 lakh crore
• Ekalavya Model Residential School to be set up for tribal children
• Investments for research & infra in premier educational institutions at Rs.1 lakh crore in next 4 years
• Allocation on National Social Assistance Programme at Rs. 9975 crore
• NHPS to cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries)
• NHPS to provide coverage up to 5 lakh rupees per family per year for hospitalisation
• Rs 1200 crore for the National Health Policy, 2017 - additional Rs.600 crore for TB patients
• 24 new Government Medical Colleges and Hospitals

ENGLISH READING COMPREHENSION for Syndicate Bank/Canara Bank

Dear SH Aspirant,

We have been providing questions for the IBPS Clerk Mains Exam 2017 and for the IBPS SO Prelims Exam from the important topics of all the sections, which would enhance your preparations for those exams. Solve the questions below which are asked in the IBPS Clerk Prelims Exam, so that this will improve your preparations for the exams.

Solve these questions, so that you do not need to fear for the English section in the forthcoming exams. This question set is a mix of Reading Comprehension and Filler Type questions, which are asked in the recent examinations, attend these questions and conquer the section of English language.

R.C 1-10): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. One word is given in bold to help you locate that while answering a question.

The 10th anniversary of the Great Recession, a.k.a. the Great Financial Crisis of 2007-08, has inspired a spate of comments across the globe. Almost without exception, they warn that the lessons of that financial crisis have not been absorbed, and another giant financial bubble is currently inflating its way to another huge bust. Yet, this near-unanimous chorus of warnings has not stopped stock markets across the world from reaching new heights. Greed is drowning out fear. Many busts are caused by central banks tightening money. Today, we have the opposite: the greatest flood of money ever created (over $10 trillion, according to some estimates). The central banks of the US, China, Europe, Japan and Britain are at the forefront. What happens when these central banks try to return to normal, and the giant flood becomes giant ebb? Optimists claim that central banks can manage the transition smoothly. The US Fed plans to move in baby steps, announcing its intentions well in advance to avoid panic. This assumes that markets are rational, when they are mainly creatures of panic and euphoria, boom and bust. Much has been written about the printing of trillions of dollars by the US Fed after 2008. But the others are not far behind. A recent Financial Times column noted that the Bank of England, created in 1694, had a bank rate of around 4% through most of its history. This fell to 2% in the Great Depression, then rose and peaked at 17% in the inflationary 1970s, before returning to the historical 4%. After 2008, an unprecedented monetary stimulus has reduced the Bank rate to 0.25% today. The Bank has also bought £445 billion (about Rs 36,900 billion) worth of securities by printing money. This enormous stimulus has neither led to a boom in GDP nor in consumer prices. Instead, like stimuli in other countries, it has created a giant bubble in assets like bonds, equities and real estate. Many financial analysts fear that the next bust may come not from Western central bank action but from China. This country encouraged a lending boom to rescue the economy after 2008. But that now seems out of control. China’s debt has exploded from $6 trillion to $28 trillion, and its ratio to GDP is up from 140% to 260%. James Anderlini of the Financial Times (‘China’s economy is addicted to debt’, goo.gl/McRV96) says this has created “an economy addicted to borrowing and afflicted with serious asset bubbles. The ultimate test will come when Beijing eventually attempts to wean the country off this debt dependence.” Historically, bonds and equities have moved in opposite directions. Today, both are at all-time highs. Not because this makes economic sense, but because the tidal wave of central bank money has to be put somewhere. So, financiers are plunging into bonds and equities simultaneously, as in the bad old days of 2003-08. They are also plunging into junk bonds, and even junk countries. Argentina has repeatedly defaulted on its foreign debts in the last 100 years. Yet, in the current financial madness, it has successfully sold 100-year bonds, a privilege once restricted to the most creditworthy nations. Mohammed El-Arian, chief economic adviser of Allianz, complains of a “liquidity delusion” that cheap money will continue to flood in forever. So, there is too much risk in soaring markets.

Such a huge bubble typically occurs when three things happen simultaneously. One, the arrival of an exciting new ‘disruptive’ technology that is difficult to value in the short term, but has huge potential. The second is easy market liquidity to help investors roar into markets. The third is cheap credit. All three elements are in evidence today. The new technologies include electric cars, hyperloops, artificial intelligence and companies with ‘network effects’ (like Uber, Facebook and Amazon). Liquidity is massive and cheap. (Some bonds carry negative interest rates.) Ruchir Sharma of Morgan Stanley says “the scale of today’s tech boom is not readily visible because much of the investment action has moved into the hands of big private players. In 1999, nearly 550 startups went public, and after many ended in disaster, the government tightened regulation of public companies. In part to avoid that red tape, this year, only 11 tech companies have gone public.” “Many are raising money instead from venture capitalists or private equity funds. Venture capitalists have poured more than $60 billion into just the technology sector every year for the last three years — the highest flows since the peak in 2000 — and private equity investors say there has never been a better time to raise money.” Many hyped companies (now called ‘unicorns’) have never made a profit. Yet, investors have thrown huge sums at them, raising their valuations above $1 billion each. The world now has over 260 unicorns, including many in India. A bust is certain everywhere (including India). But nobody knows when. The 2003-08 boom proved that markets could soar for years after being declared irrationally exuberant. Cynics are still buying, hoping to double their money before the bubble bursts. It’s a risky strategy.

Q.1) The underlying tone of the passage is understood to be one of:

a) Emphasis

b) Gloom

c) Uncertainty

d) Optimism

e) Prudence

Q.2) The acceleration in stock markets, for long years, not conforming to rational belief often happens under which of the following circumstances?

a) Prior to an economic gloom.

b) After an economic gloom.

c) After rate cuts imposed by a central Bank.

d) When prices of commodities stabilize.

e) When bonds and equities move in the opposite direction.

Reasoning Quiz for IBPS/SSC EXAMS

You just need correct practice and exhaust your brain to quickly make decisions about what to attempt and what to leave. And for same we are providing you questions of Reasoning Question and Answers. Try these to Practice latest pattern reasoning question for bank exams.

Q1. In a certain code, MISTAKE is written as HRNGVPZ. How is GROUNDS written in that code?

(a) LITFWHM

(b) LITFHWM

(c) LITHFWM

(d) LNQFEFEO

(e) None of these

Direction (2): In the following questions, the symbols #, &, @, * , $, % and © are used with the following meanings as illustrated below. Study the following information and answer the given questions:

P#Q - Q is the father of P.

P@Q - Q is the child of P.

P©Q - P is the brother of Q.

P$Q - Q is the daughter of P.

P*Q- P is the husband of Q.

P&Q- Q is the daughter-in-law of P.

P%Q- P is the wife of Q.

Q2. If  F$E%C©A#B then how C is related F?

(a) Son

(b) Daughter

(c) Son-in-law

(d) None of these

(e) Can’t be determined

Direction (3): In the following questions, the symbols #, &, @, * , $, % and © are used with the following meanings as illustrated below. Study the following information and answer the given questions:

P#Q - P is the son of Q.

P@Q - Q is the child of P.

P©Q - P is the parent of Q.

P$Q - P is elder than Q.

P*Q- P is the husband of Q.

P&Q- Q is the daughter-in-law of P.

P%Q- P is the wife of Q.

Q3. If A%B&C%D@M#C, then how B is related to M?

(a) Mother

(b) Grandmother

(c) Father

(d) Grandfather 

(e) None of these

Quantitative Aptitude Questions for SYNDICATE/CANARA BANK/SSC-CHSL

Dear Aspirants,

Quantitative Aptitude is a very important section you must prepare if you are aiming for a job in Bank or Insurance sector. These two weeks are very important as IBPS-SO 2017 are lined up. So, these 15 questions can help you practice three very important topics of Quant Section.

Directions (1-5): What should come in place of the question mark (?) in following number series problems?

Q1. 4,  8,  ?,   42,   91,   212

(a) 16

(b) 34

(c) 25

(d) 22

(e) 17

Q2. 5616,   1872,   468,   156,?,   13

(a) 39

(b) 52

(c) 26

(d) 65

(e) 78

Q3. 10,   14,   25,   55,   140,   ?

(a) 386

(b) 398

(c) 388

(d) 396

(e) None of these

Q4. 28,   16,   28,   76,  ?

(a) 269

(b) 274

(c) 351

(d) 243

(e) None of these

Q5. 7,   9,   19,    18,    31,   27,   ?

(a) 59

(b) 56

(c) 43

(d) 71

(e) None of these

SH- Current Affairs Update 26th, Jan 2018

Dear SH Aspirants,

Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Centre releases Rs 734.7 crore for 26 irrigation projects

Last week, Union Water Resources Ministry released central assistance amounting to Rs 734.7 crore for 26 irrigation projects.

Funds for Irrigation Projects:

i. Out of the total amount Rs. 734.7 crore, Rs 246.9 crore is for nine prioritised projects under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) works.

ii. Remaining Rs 487.80 crore is to be utilised for Command Area Development (CAD) works for 17 projects.

iii. It is to be noted that during financial year 2017-18, central assistance amounting to Rs 1152.52 crore has been released for 26 priority projects under the AIBP so far. Besides, Rs. 3318.85 crore has been released as state share from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for 24 priority projects under the AIBP.

India’s richest 1% corner 73% of wealth generation: Survey

As per the survey and the accompanying report (titled ‘Reward Work, Not Wealth’) released by the international rights group Oxfam, richest 1 per cent in India amassed 73 per cent of the wealth generated in the country last year.

Highlights of Survey by Oxfam:

i. Wealth of 67 crore Indians (about 50% of the population) rose by just 1 per cent during last year.

ii. As per the report, wealth of India’s richest 1 per cent increased by overRs. 20.9 lakh crore during 2017, which is equivalent to Indian Government’s budgetary allocation for 2017–18.

iii. On global level, richest 1 per cent managed to corner 82 per cent of the wealth generated last year while wealth of 3.7 billion comprising poorest half of world population did not increase at all.

iv. Findings of this survey have revealed rising income inequality, not only in India but across the world.

Japan sanctioned 45 billion yen loan Assistance to India for Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Project (Phase 3) (I)

Government of Japan has committed JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Official Development Assistance loan for Yen 45 billion for Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Project (Phase 3) (I).

Japan – 45 billion yen loan to Bengaluru:

i. On 24^th January 2018, documents regarding this was exchanged between Mr. S. Selvakumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, India and H.E. Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India.

ii. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) area, mainly 110 villages, will be covered by this project.

iii. People of this area will be provided with safe water supply and sewerage services. Water treatment plants and sewage treatment plants will be set up for this purpose.

About JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency):

♦ Headquarters – Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan

♦ President – Shinichi Kitaoka

♦ Purpose – Official development assistance

SH- Current Affairs Update 25th, Jan 2018

Dear SH Aspirants,

Study Daily Current Affairs and stay updated as well as prepare for General Awareness section of bank exams. It's time to gear up your preparations for IBPS/RBI/SBI/SSC and with the daily dose of current affairs, you can easily prepare G.A and score well.

INDIAN AFFAIRS

Government announces 4 new schemes to promote young scientists

On January 24, 2018, Central Government launched four new schemes to promote young scientists and researchers in India. All the schemes focus on empowering, recognising and motivating youth.

i. Teacher Associateship for Research Excellence (TARE) Scheme will connect the educators to leading public funded institutions like Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) or national institutions like Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)to pursue research.

ii. Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship scheme, support will be offered to 100 PhD scholars for training at foreign universities/laboratories up to 12 months during their doctoral research.

iii. Distinguished Investigator Award scheme, 100 fellowships will be offered to principal investigators of Science and Engineering Research Board/Department of Science and Technology projects.

iv. Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research (AWSAR) scheme aims to encourage science writing.

International Conference on ‘Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the Election Process’ in New Delhi

On January 24, 2018, Election Commission of India (ECI) hosted a one-day International Conference on ‘Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the Election Process’ in New Delhi.

ighlights of International Conference on ‘Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in the Election Process’:

i. The Conference was organized under the VoICE.NET platform, a common knowledge/resource sharing network for 25 Election Management Bodies and International Organisations.

ii. It was attended by representatives from five Election Management Bodies (EMBs) viz. Australia, Guinea, Bhutan, Moldova & Zambia and Heads of two International Organisations viz. International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and International Foundation of Electoral Systems (IFES).

iii. During the conference, representatives from EMBs and international organisations shared their experiences, initiatives and best practices for electoral engagement, enrolment and active participation of Persons with Disabilities in ballot exercise.

iv. On the sidelines of the Conference, ECI signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation in the field of election management with Central Election Commission of Moldova, with National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) of Guinea and also with International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

India, Vietnam sign MoUs on I&B, space cooperation

On January 24, 2018, India and Vietnam signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in the areas of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) and space.

Details about India-Vietnam MoU:

i. MoU documents were exchanged in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Vietnam counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc in New Delhi.

ii. Under the MoU, India and Vietnam will strive to enhance cooperation in the field of Information and Broadcasting based on principles of equality and in accordance with their national laws and regulations.

iii. In area of space cooperation, India and Vietnam have agreed on the implementation arrangement between Vietnam’s National Remote Sensing Department and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the establishment of tracking and data reception station and data processing facility in Vietnam. This arrangement will be set up under the ASEAN-India Space Cooperation.

Quick Facts about Vietnam:

♦ Capital – Hanoi

♦ Currency – Vietnamese Dong

♦ Current President – Tran Dai Quang

♦ Important Rivers – Red River, Perfume River

Government to increase number of ‘AMRIT’ pharmacy stores 4 times

Union Health Minister, J P Nadda has stated that his ministry is working to increase the number of AMRIT pharmacy stores by four times (from the existing 111 outlets) by the end of 2018.

About AMRIT Pharmacy stores:

i. Since November 2015, Union Ministry for Health & Family Welfare has opened several Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) pharmacy stores across India with an aim to reduce the expenditure incurred by patients on treatment of cancer and heart diseases.

ii. According to Mr. Nadda, AMRIT stores have benefited over 52 lakh patients as medicine buyers have saved over Rs 267 crore by buying drugs from these stores.

iii. In order to help more patients, Health Ministry is working for opening more such stores. Mr. Nadda has stated that the goal is to have one AMRIT store in every district of India.